Hanger-retaining device for wardrobe-trunks



w; w. DUNN AND J.'H.'BE'ASL EY. HANGER RETAINING DEVICE FOR WARDROBE TRUNKS. APPLICATION FILED AUG.'27| I9I9.

1,344,872, Patented J11I1629, 1920.

3W8 Z J/fBeas Mir/320777 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

WILLIAM W. DUNN, OF HENDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA, AND JOHN H. BEASLEY, OF

NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNORS TO SEWARD TRUNK AND BAG COMPANY, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

-I-[ANGER-RETAINING DEVICE. FOR WARDROBE-TRUNKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1920.

Application filed August 27, 1919. .Serial No. 320,278.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, lViLLrAM W. DUNN and JOHN H. BEASLEY, citizens of the United States,.residing at Henderson and Norfolk, respectively,'in the counties of Vance and Norfolk, respectively, and States of North Carolina and Virginia, respectively, have invented certain new and useful'Improvements in Hanger-Retaining Devices for lVardrobeTrunks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates towardrobe trunks in which hangers are disposed on rails in one section of the trunk, and particularly to means for holding the hangers from sliding upon the rails when the upper end, section of the trunk is closed: V

The general object of our invention is to provide a device of this character which resiliently mounted upon theupper endsection of the trunk and which..resiliently bears upon the upper edgesof the hangers disposed upon said rails, and thus retains said hangers from endwise movement on the rails when the trunk is closed.

A further object is to provide a construction of this character in'which the hangers are, retained in their position by a springpressed plate carried upon the top sectionof the trunk and which, when this top section is closed, bears yieldingly against the upper ends of the hangers and forces them against the rails, thus holding the hangers .in position.

Other objects have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will appear more fully hereafter.

. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of thatsection of a wardrobe trunk in which the clothes hangers are disposed, showing our hanger retaining device in use;

section on the line 22 of Fig. i is a fragmentary perspective view' showing the connections between the spring leaves;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview of the plate 11 showing the sockets l9.

Referring to these drawings, A designates one section of a wardrobe trunk, this section being hinged in the usual manner to the other section ofthe trunk (DOt'ShOVJII) so that these two sections of the trunk may move on their hinges in a horizontal plane when the trunk is stood upright. This sec tion, as usual, carries within it the hanger rails B, upon which are disposed a plurality of hangers C. All of these parts are of any well known or suitable fconstruction. Hinged to the upper end of the section A is a top section D, this section being capable of being moved from the position shownin Fig. 2 to that shown inqFig. 3. This section D is commonly found in wardrobe trunks and forms no part of thepresent invention. V p

The hangers C, it will be noted, are formed with laterally extencing arms 0 which on gage over the rails B and below these arms with the laterally extended portions of which together support the. garment so that the garment is not hung upon or passed over the upper portion or cross bar of the hanger.

Mounted upon the under face of the hinged top sectionD is a plate 10 which maybe made of metal, wood, or any other suitable material, and disposed below this plate if} is a second plate 11 of any desired area and preferably having an area nearly that of the interior ofthe hinged section I), and disposed below the plates lOand 11 are compression springs which are preferably constructed as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, these compression springs urging the plates 1.0 and 11 away from each other to such a distance that when the cover section I) is shut down, the plate 11 will bear with considerable force against the upper edges of the hangers C and, therefore, retain said hangers in their adjusted positions upon the rails B so that the hangers will not be liable to shift accidentally along these rails while the trunk icing transported and roughly handled.

. Preferably, though not necessarily, the spring elements between the plates 10 and 11. are elliptical springs and preferably these springs are constructed as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4c, that is a leaf 12 is attached by a central rivet 13 to the plate 10, this leaf having its ends extending inward and these ends being formed with transverse slots 14. To the plate 11 is riveted a strip 15 and to the middle of this strip is riveted a bowed spring 16 having its ends extending outward, these ends being reduced in thickness, as at 17, and inserted loosely through the slots 1%. As the springs expand, these tongues 17 will slide through the slots 1%, and this sliding movement permits the springs to be compressed so that the space between the springs is very slight, or permits the springs to expand to the position shown in Fig. 3. This construction holds the spring leaves in alinement, prevents any accidental disengagement between the springs, and though we do not wish to be limited tothis construction, yet we regard it as preferable, as we have found it particu larly good in practice. Preferably, the ings are ,inclosed by a fabric casing 18 which is attached to the cover section D or'to the plate 10 and is folded ata plurality of points and extends down across the face of the plate 11. lVhen the springs are compressed, this fabric folds up like an accordion, and when the springs are expanded, thecasing will expand as shown F 1g. 3. Thls fabric casing might be made of leather or textile fabric, or it may be omitted altogether.

It will be noted that this plate 11 which bears against the upper ends of the hangers C does not ordinarily bear against the clothes supported on these hangers, and its sole purpose is to retain the hangers in position on the rails and prevent any tendency of the hangers to shift. Even where a presser is used which engages the clothes supported on the hangers, as is the case in some wardrobe trunks, there is still a necessity for some means to prevent the longitudinal oscillation of the hangers on the rails. hile preferably the under face of the plate 11 is smooth and flat, yet this under face might be provided with a plurality of transverse corrugations or sockets 19, as illustrated in Fig. 5,.to engage with the hangers and thereby positively prevent any shifting movement.

it will be seen that this device is very simple and thoroughly effective for the purpose intended.

lVe claim l. A trunk including a hanger supporting section having means therein for supporting a plurality of hangers, a cover section hinged .tothe hanger supporting section at one end and adapted to extend over the hangers when the trunk is in a v rtical position, a hanger retaining plate carried by the cover section, and elliptical springs 'operatively connected to the retaining plate and to the inside face of the cover section "and adapted to urge the hangerretaining plate against theupper edges of the hangers.

2. A. trunk including a hanger supporting section having means therein for supporting a plurality of hangers, cover section hinged to the hanger supporting section at one end and adapted to extend over the hangers when the trunl; is in a vertical position,'a hanger retaining plate carried by the cover section, and elliptical springs operatively connected to the retaining plate and .to the inside face of the cover section and adapted tourge the hanger retaining plate against the upper edges of the hangers, said springs comprising two reversely bowed spring); leaves attached respectively to the pate and the cover section, the ends of one of the spring leaves being slotted and the ends of the coacting spring leaf being reduced in width to "form tongues having sliding engagement in said slots.

In testimony whereof we hereunto ailix our signatures.

WILLIAM V. DUNN. JOHN H. BEASLEY' 

